A face appeared before a small female baby. There was intelligence within those eyes, and she wasn't even a full twenty-four hours old. The man… the god… her Father reached within the bassinet, poking at her with his finger. "Basilea," he muttered as he picked her up to gently cradle in his arms.
(And like his brothers after him, he presented the babe to his wife to soothe the ache of the affair.)
"Have you made up your mind, Sally," he questioned, wrapping the hideous pink blanket around his daughter. He tapped his finger against it, watching as power sank into it changing the blanket to look like the sunset over the ocean waves.
LÍV́ÍÁ was woven into the corners.
Neptūnus turned, immediately stiffening as he saw Sally wringing her hands together before reaching into the opposing bassinet. He clenched his jaw, sensing his Greek form wanting to take over. His mortal lover picked up her son, biting her lips nervously, "I-I choose Percy."
Neptūnus hummed, as he cradled Livia closer to him. His voice book no argument as he told her: "You will never see her again."
Sally closed her eyes as he covered Livia's, "I understand."
He flashed away.
"Who are you," a voice demanded followed by the sound of a loaded gun. Neptūnus chuckled as he looked at the woman in front of him, "Peace, Prudence. I come seeking your sister's aid."
"You didn't answer my question," Prudence replied. Neptūnus felt nothing short of amused. His late granddaughter and late daughter's family had been the only Romans to truly brave the sea. They also made Minerva lose all of her sense of self which was always amusing to see. The longest lasting legacy of Ancient Rome… of Troy itself.
"Peace, sister," another voice stated. "It is not every day we gain the attention of Lord Neptūnus himself."
Neptūnus smiled as Aelia Verus entered the small clearing. Her son waddled behind her with curious eyes. There was power in the boy, and he wondered what gift he had inherited from their legacy.
"How may I be of service, Lord Neptūnus," Aelia asked. Neptūnus hid a smile, "I require the help of you and your youngest sister." He held up his daughter for them to see her more clearly, "She needs a weapon forged to bring about the strongest storms. One that will be as an unpredictable as the sea."
"Of course," Aelia instantly agreed. Neptūnus could see the look in her eyes. "May we know the name of the child you sired?"
"Her mother did not want her," Neptūnus stated as he looked at her in his arms. Her little face moved into the resemblance of a smile. Neptūnus' own lips twisted in amusement. He knew that the others could see the besotted looks that they both wore. He ran his hand over her head, a small crown of pearls appearing. Her brow furrowed as if she realized that something was not right. "She is the jewel of the sea. Raise her and protect her with your life. Treat her as if she were your own child and your curse will stave for as long as she breathes. Her name is Livia, and she will be the best of us. And that, Aelia Verus, I swear."
In hindsight, seducing the most promising member of his wife's gardening club was not his best decision. But in his very flimsy defense, Mitsy was very beautiful. Incredibly beautiful.
Not as beautiful as his wife of course. He was sure that none could compare, not even Venus herself. Proserpina was just incomparable. There was none equal to her in looks nor in his love.
If only Mitsy had understood that before she had the audacity to insult his wife.
At least the child had been saved.
They were in his arms now, smarter than a normal babe should be. It was always so strange to see his children as rare as they may be. He wasn't overly fond of stepping out on his wife. Proserpina was his everything and she deserved everything he could offer her and then some. He always missed her so dearly whenever she ventured back to the surface land and that was when the affairs happened… he'd be drawn to a soul that reminded him of her.
He was always so horribly guilty afterwards, rushing back to his kingdom and drowning himself into his work. He never failed to tell her if he had stepped out because she deserved to know, and he lavished her with attention and love to make up for it.
He didn't think he would be able to do so now. After Hazel and the children of his greek form and that entire mess of some mortal claiming to be his child (Hitler? Plouto didn't know. Proserpina had excitedly taken on his punishment and some days, his screams could be heard from the Fields of Punishment in his wife's section that he absolutely refused to enter) ... after that mess, he had sworn to himself that he would not take on another lover for another millennia…
And then Mitsy appeared on his radar. And he felt as if he had been hit by one of Cupid's arrows, dastardly things that they were. It was a beautiful love affair and he listened to her ramble about the flora she wanted to plant as if his wife hadn't changed three parts of the Underworld into her own personal garden and he was halfway sure that she had a pet from Tartarus hiding within the poison ivy trees in the Field of Punishments.
He hadn't expected Proserpina to catch them together, face clouding with rage like her Father's thunderstorms when she saw them. Mitsy just had to open her mouth at the wrong moment and his Queen had only waved her finger in a come-hither movement that ripped her soul out of her body.
The body had collapsed and the child in her arms had fallen straight down on "conveniently" placed spikes. He had grabbed the babe before they could be pierced, removing the child as his wife looked on in disgust.
(And like his brothers before and after him, he presented the babe to his wife to soothe the ache of the affair.)
He flashed away.
"Who are you," a voice demanded followed by the sound of a drawn sword. Plouton laughed as he looked at the woman in front of him, "Peace, Valorie. I come seeking your aid."
"You didn't answer my question," Valorie replied. Plouton felt nothing short of amused and admiration. The lineage of his brother and nephew had managed to be so long-lived even though the curse was woven so strongly into their blood. He could sense it even now, how death was wrapped around them. The longest lasting legacy of Ancient Rome… of Troy itself.
"Peace, sister," another voice stated. "It is not every day we gain the attention of Lord Pluto himself."
Plouto smiled as Aelia Verus entered the small clearing, holding a babe in her arms. Her son waddled behind her with curious eyes. There was power in the boy, and he wondered what gift he had inherited from their legacy.
"How may we be of service, Lord Pluto," Aelia asked. Plouto hid a smile as he repeated, "I require the help of Valorie." He held up the child for them to see more clearly, "They will need a weapon that will radiate death in which she came. One that will be able to pierce the veil between life and death."
"Of course," Valorie instantly agreed. Plouto could see the challenge in her eyes. "May we know the name of the child you sired?"
Plouto looked at the child in his arms. Their eyes were piercing as if they were looking into the souls around them. Plouto's own lips twisted in amusement. "They are the regret that comes to all that forsake them. Their name is Rue, and they will be the best of us. And that, Aelia Verus, I swear."
He shouldn't have gone back… he knew. Oh, how Iovis knew. His Queen was infuriated by Thalia in a way that she had not been since Herakles so many eons ago. She never cared about his prophesied children except of what they could do in relation to her home.
And Thalia was a threat to Olympus whether his little girl knew it or not.
Still, he held his son in his arms, knowing it would be for the last time. His son was a threat to the entire world.
He knew of his brothers' children. Neptūnus had been hiding away from the wrath of his wife within his temple on Olympus. And Proserpina had been so infuriated that she created five new strands of poisonous plants that even her Mother was afraid to place with the mortals due to their potency.
He winced as he could only imagine his own wife's rage.
But—
He looked around the room… around the house. Thalia was asleep in her room while Beryl was passed out in a pool of her own vomit.
But— his wife had not had a child to raise for years. The closest she got were the few children of Vulcanus and Mārs that were presented to her as his other children preferred their own mothers or not present them at all.
His son had been given his name more than just because it had once been the name of her favored mortal. It was also because his name meant The Healer and he hoped that the child could heal the rift between him and his wife.
Though as he looked at his son… he figured the boy would be able to Heal the entire world.
A groan was heard from behind him, and he knew that it was Beryl picking herself off the ground. He wished that she would turn herself around, become that dazzling woman that he lusted for. In a way, he was glad that Fate had chosen her. She reminded him of his Queen, but alas, as much as she pleaded… she will never be his Queen.
No one could be half the goddess that Iūnō was.
Beryl came up behind him and he spoke before she could start her own pleads, "You will take him to the Wolf House. The place that I told you of before. He will be safe there. It will spare the three of you from Her rage. Thalia will go to camp when she is twelve. She will be protected there." He ran his finger down his son's face before turning to his lover. "Do not fail me in this, Beryl. The consequences will be… dire. And not even death will spare you."
She was pale and he laid the child down back onto the bed. He looked through the walls to check on his daughter, a small gust of wind to place her cover over her body as the elements blew in from the open window.
With one last glance at his son and none at the mother…
He flashed away.
"Who are you," a voice demanded followed by the sound of rattling bottles. Iovis hummed as he looked at the woman in front of him, "Peace, Aelia. I come seeking your sister's aid."
"You didn't answer my question," Aelia replied. Iovis was amused as he watched her eyes glow softly before she dropped into a bow. The lineage of his brother and son had managed to be so long-lived even though the curse was woven so strongly into their blood. A lineage of the sky and the sea with death on their tongues. The longest lasting legacy of Ancient Rome… of Troy itself.
"Rise," he commanded.
She did so, eyes flicking to his face looking over his face reverently. "It is not every day we gain the attention of Lord Jove himself."
Iovis smiled as Aelia Verus moved her elixirs out of the way. The same elixirs that were keeping them off of his daughter's radar. Her son and daughter—Neptūnus' child that she fostered— looked up from their corner of toys. There was power in the boy, and he wondered what gift he had inherited from their legacy.
"How may we be of service, Lord Jove," Aelia asked. Iovis hid a smile, "I require the help of Valorie." He turned back into the direction where he knew his children resided. "I need a weapon forged that can withstand the cries of lightning. One that will be as sharp as the wind in the air."
"Of course," Aelia instantly agreed. Iovis could see the connection being made in her mind. "May I know of any special requests that you would like to add?"
Iovis thought of the child he had just held in his arms. His lips twisted wryly, "He is the Healer. Our lucky charm. Our saving grace. His name is Iason, and he will be the best of us. And that, Aelia Verus, I swear."
Word Count: 2,171
WORDS TO KNOW
Basilea - Princess, an epithet of Hêbê and Artemis
COMMENTS from the Author:
1) Fun Fact: Out of the five children of the Zeus and Hḗrē, Hêbê is the only one with a royal title/epithet as the Princess.
2) Rue is a type of flower and as a word, it means repentance, regret. It fits the theme used for the children of Háidēs/Pluto.
3) Iovis' non-answer to Aelia will come in later.
4) Proserpina and Pluton are technically not the roman equivalents of Háidēs and Persephónē, but when they became Hellenized, those are the names that they took on. Proserpina was originally Lībera and Ploutōn was originally Dītis Patris. Proserpina and Pluto are the most commonly known name.
5) Fun Fact: Dīs Pater (Dītis Patris), otherwise known as Rex Infernus or Pluto. Ploutōn is actually another Greek name for Háidēs just as Orcus is another name for Dīs Pater.
6) Proserpina replaced or was combined with the ancient Roman fertility goddess Lībera who is the daughter of Ceres and twin sister of Līber/Bacchus. A funny coincidence to the Orphic myths that lay claim to Dionysos being the son of Persephónē/Dēmḗtēr.
7) To make it easier, you can think of Lībera as the equivalent of Kórē, and Proserpina as the equivalant to Persephónē.